Birthday Celebration: Dinner at Knox Mason

My birthday was a few weeks ago and to celebrate, the southern beau and I had dinner at Knoxville's Knox Mason. It's kind of sad that this was my first time dining at Knox Mason, even though I'd been wanting to eat there for what feels like forever.

Much like the tagline for my blog, Knox Mason is "utterly southern, and elaborately simple." And I mean that as a compliment.

The food was delicious. We began by enjoying deviled eggs, which were made with rooster sauce and Tennessee chow chow. The deviled eggs were creamy and rich...but somehow I missed that little sprinkling of paprika that usually accompanies them. Call me a deviled egg purist.

Next, we tried the pimento cheese, which is made with Sweetwater Cheese and served with Saw Works beer bread and Wickles pickles. Again, delicious. Although I have to admit I didn't think it was quite as good as my homemade pimento cheese, which I'd swear on the witness stand is the best pimento cheese I've ever had. Hear that Chef Matt Gallaher? The pimento cheese gauntlet has been thrown.

 For the main course, we decided to try two different salads...have I mentioned how much my beau loves to sit patiently looking at the food while I try to get the best possible photo? [sarcasm. but he is a good sport].

I got the beet salad, which was divine. If you aren't careful, you can really mess up beets by overcooking them. In fact, for most salads I make with beets, I prefer them raw for that crunchy texture. But the Knox Mason beet salad was great. That little swath of goat cheese smashed across the plate looks like a happy accident, but I suppose in fancy culinary circles this is the style du jour. Whatever, it was delicious.

My beau got the carrot salad with arugula, almonds and creme fraiche, which was also very tasty. He seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. 

For dessert, we tried the banana pudding, served in a mason jar with the most perfectly toasted marshmallow topping. Too cute!

Have you been to Knox Mason? What delicacies did you enjoy? Since I'm not a meat eater, it eliminated some things as options, but I had a great time. 

Want a side-by-side taste test comparison of Knox Mason pimento cheese vs. Southern Belle Simple pimento cheese? Here's my recipe. 

Southern Celebrations: How to Host a Mardi Gras Party

Mardi Gras is such a festive time, but not all of us can traipse to New Orleans (or anywhere) to take part in the official celebrations. It's still possible to enjoy the festivities, by throwing your own Mardi Gras party for family and friends.

I shared some tips for a DIY Mardi Gras party on Knoxville's WTNZ Fox43 and I wanted to share them with you as well!

The central focus of any good party is always the food, right? My idea for a DIY Mardi Gras celebration is to set up a make-your-own grits bar. It's sort of like a hot fudge sundae bar, except with grits. The best thing about grits (besides their being tasty) is they are affordable. You can make up a whole mess of grits without spending much money.

Then, gather a variety of different toppings and let your guests go to town!

Possible topping options for a Mardi Gras grits bar include:

• Shrimp
• corn
• feta cheese
• roasted red peppers
• sun-dried tomatoes
• sauteed spinach
• chives or chopped onions
• creme fraiche 
• andouille sausauge
• jalapeno peppers  
• chow chow, relish, etc.

Other food to serve for a Mardi Gras party might be anything and everything that is local to New Orleans or Louisiana. Zapp's chips, Abita beer (or root beer), Tobasco, pralines, etc. Whatever you can find and think your guests might enjoy! It's your party after all. 

You might also want to put together some fun Mardi Gras party favors for your guests to take home. I found these adorable yellow polka-dot take-out containers at World Market. Combined with green and purple tissue paper, they made adorable favors! I filled them with pralines (prah-leens, y'all!), tiny bottles of tobasco and traditional Mardi Gras chocolate coin candy. All of this was from World Market too...but you could probably find similar items at a party supply store or craft store. 

Finally, whip up a batch of beignets from the world famous Cafe du Monde! Don't forget the powdered sugar! Enjoy them with a cup of Cafe du Monde coffee for the complete experience. You could serve this as a late-night snack to give your Mardi Gras guests a boost or even just send them home with a gift basket as a souvenir to help them remember your festive gathering! (source for Cafe du Monde items - World Market). 

Happy Friday folks and Laissez les bons temps rouler, y'all! 

Southern Goods: imogene + willie

I recently stumbled across the blog of Nashville's imogene + willie, a custom denim shop located in an old gas station. Founders Matt and Carrie are pursuing their passion to create beautiful, well-made, perfectly-fitting blue jeans and all the while honoring the people who helped them get where they are today. The brand's name is a nod to Carrie's grandparents but each of the couple's special grandparents is honored by the lives they lead.

I haven't visited imogene + willie yet, but it's on my list of must-see Nashville spots. I enjoyed this video so much, I thought I'd share. I love when regular folks pursue their passions to see where their dreams take them. I'm also glad that there seems to be a return to locally-made, handcrafted quality goods. It makes me feel a bit better about the state of things and gives me hope for what's to come.